LATCH ON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does latch on mean? 

• LATCH ON (verb)
  The verb LATCH ON has 3 senses:

1. take hold of or attach to

2. adopt

3. understand, usually after some initial difficulty

  Familiarity information: LATCH ON used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LATCH ON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Take hold of or attach to

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The biochip latches onto the genes

Hypernyms (to "latch on" is one way to...):

grasp; hold on (hold firmly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Adopt

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

fasten on; hook on; latch on; seize on; take up

Context example:

take up new ideas

Hypernyms (to "latch on" is one way to...):

adopt; embrace; espouse; sweep up (take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one's own)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Understand, usually after some initial difficulty

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

catch on; cotton on; get it; get onto; get wise; latch on; tumble; twig

Context example:

She didn't know what her classmates were plotting but finally caught on

Hypernyms (to "latch on" is one way to...):

apprehend; compass; comprehend; dig; get the picture; grasp; grok; savvy (get the meaning of something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

I saw the door move, and instinctively tried to hold the latch on the outside, to gain a moment's time.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)